Jesse is from Baltimore, and Kate grew up in Portage, Michigan. Though they lived far apart, their paths nearly crossed countless times. They went to college within five hours of each other, and years later, both spent time in Chicago—Jesse living there for 17 years and Kate on frequent trips from Michigan to visit friends. But fate had other plans, and it wasn’t until both were living in Washington that they finally met.

With a shared love for mountains and water, Kate had settled in Seattle while Jesse was in Tacoma. Thanks to a little dating app—and some lucky timing with Jesse landing at the airport—he showed up in Kate’s tight 10-mile dating radius. Though she wasn’t looking to date someone an hour away, fate (and geography) had other plans.

Their first date was paddle boarding. Since Kate was living by the beach, she asked Jesse if he’d want to give it a try. He had never done it before, and they spent the first hour laughing nonstop as Jesse kept falling off his board. But he took it in stride, and by sunset, they were side by side on their boards, talking for hours. The perfect end to the perfect date? Tacos and tequila. It was the best first date—and the last first date—they’d ever go on.

From that point on, their adventures only grew. Together, they’ve hiked, backpacked, and explored all over Washington. Wherever life takes them, they know they’ve found the best adventure partner in each other.